Santiago to Doha: Chile's bold architecture, football, and coastal traditions take over Qatar's Years of Culture

Following last week’s deep dive into Qatar’s Years of Culture in Argentina, The New Arab now looks at Chile, the next stop in the programme, where the country’s creativity, energy, and stunning natural wonders took the spotlight.

While some events were similar to those in Argentina, Chile’s programme had its own style, exploring architecture, sport, craft, music, food, sustainability, and tradition across places as varied as the Atacama Desert and the southern fjords.

At the first stop, in the bustling city of Santiago, participants were introduced to one of the programme’s strongest connections between Chile and Qatar: a meeting with Qatar’s Years of Culture Advisor for Latin America, Mohammed Alkuwari, and the architecture firm ELEMENTAL, led by Alejandro Aravena, Juan Cerda, Víctor Oddó, and Diego Torres.

This collaboration is built on a longstanding partnership, with ELEMENTAL’s ties to Qatar stretching back to 2017, when the firm won the international competition to design the Art Mill on Doha Bay.

The project turned old grain silos into a cutting-edge contemporary art museum, celebrated for its thoughtful design that preserved the site's industrial charm. To this day, it stands as one of Qatar’s most significant cultural commissions in recent years.

As for the volunteers, meeting the architects — including renowned Chilean architect Alejandro Aravena, known for his innovative and socially conscious approach to architecture — was more than just an introduction. It was a chance to connect faces and voices to a design they had only seen in renderings, and to experience how collaboration can carry ideas across oceans.

From the design studios, the journey moved to one of Santiago’s most important cultural spaces: the Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art.

Housed in the restored Palacio de la Real Aduana, the museum was transformed through an ambitious renovation by Chilean architect Smiljan Radić.

To build a new subterranean gallery, engineers temporarily lifted the entire 19th-century building, constructed the space beneath it, and then carefully lowered the palace back into place.

The result is a striking mix of old and new, with neoclassical stonework above and a large, light-filled hall below, where artefacts spanning thousands of years — from the world’s oldest mummies to woven textiles and ceremonial pieces — are displayed, letting visitors move through different civilisations.

Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art

Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art

Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art

Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art

That being said, Santiago’s streets offered a different kind of museum, built from stone, steel, and imagination, where the architecture — ranging from beautifully restored historic buildings to impressive new landmarks — revealed how much Chile values design as part of its national identity.

Yet, walking through the city, it was clear to see the layers of its history, with traces of the dictatorship years and the social changes that followed, each leaving a mark on how Santiago looks and lives today. 

Santiago's streets

Santiago's streets

Santiago's streets

Santiago's streets

Santiago's streets

Santiago's streets

Football provided another glimpse into Chile’s identity, showcasing its culture of community and competition. 

During The New Arab's visit to the Spain versus Morocco game, for example, Morocco’s 2–0 win set the stage for their eventual championship on 20 October, highlighting the passion Chileans have for the sport.

That same passion was evident at Club Deportivo Palestino, a Santiago-based team founded in 1920 by Palestinian immigrants.

The club has long been a symbol of identity and resilience, with its red, green, and black colours reflecting the Palestinian flag, and even its kit design tracing the outline of historic Palestine — a subtle yet powerful emblem recognised throughout Chile.

At the club’s grounds, players and the manager spoke about Palestino’s unique legacy and their excitement for the upcoming trip to Doha.

“Playing for both Chilean football and the Palestinian community isn’t just about pride,” one player explained. “It’s continuity, a living bridge between cultures that share deep ties.”

In the heart of Matanzas

Away from Santiago’s fast pace, The New Arab’s Chilean adventure took a calmer turn toward Matanzas, where green mountains meet the Pacific coast.

At Fundación El Bato, a community-driven organisation dedicated to preserving local craft traditions and community life, volunteers were welcomed into a world shaped by centuries of craftsmanship and community life. 

Artisans spoke of their heritage and guided them through pottery, hands pressing and shaping clay in movements passed down through generations.

Later, the day took on a lighter tone as volunteers joined the artisans in foraging for local vegetables, cooking what they gathered, and sharing music and dance along the way, creating a simple, joyful rhythm where land, art, and community came together.

Fundación El Bato

Fundación El Bato

Fundación El Bato

Fundación El Bato

Fundación El Bato

Fundación El Bato

Fundación El Bato

At the San Pedro Viewpoint, the focus turned to the traditional Seaweed Route, where women have harvested and dried seaweed by hand for generations, a practice essential to local livelihoods and the preservation of old knowledge.

Once overlooked, this coastal superfood is now catching wider attention, linking a local heritage to a growing global movement for sustainable food.

Seaweed Route

Seaweed Route

Seaweed Route

Seaweed Route

Seaweed_Route

Seaweed_Route

Seaweed Route

Creativity, much like in Argentina, tied the journey together, with volunteers exploring new perspectives during a photography session with Qatari photographer Khalifa Al Obaidly, while nearby, artist Khalid Bumatar led a community mural project that combined Chilean and Qatari motifs, celebrating the spirit of cultural exchange. 

The afternoon ended with an abaya design workshop, where traditional Qatari patterns met the earthy tones of Chile’s coast. Each activity built on the last — a continuation of conversations that began months earlier in Buenos Aires, now reimagined through the light, rhythm and textures of Chile.

As the journey drew to a close, the spotlight moved to film and music. The evening began with a short documentary and a conversation with the performers, before local singers took over with Canto a lo Poeta, a Chilean tradition where songs are composed to honour loved ones and moments of remembrance. 

Long after the last note, their voices lingered, filling the room with stories of land, love, and strength.

Canto a lo Poeta

Canto a lo Poeta

Canto a lo Poeta

With more editions to come and new countries soon to join Qatar’s Years of Culture programme, one thing was clear in this year’s Latin America edition: from Santiago’s architecture to the seaweed harvests of Matanzas, every stop in Chile revealed how creativity and heritage intertwine to tell a nation’s story. These experiences — shaped by the history, landscape, and people — reflected the same spirit that defined Argentina’s chapter.

Ultimately, the journey through Chile and Argentina highlighted what can happen when cultures engage in dialogue rather than stay distant, and it's exciting to see how this tradition will continue to grow, spreading its message of shared creativity beyond these shores.

Ibrahim Fakhri is a visual artist and creative manager at The New Arab. His work focuses on visual storytelling and creative media that explore contemporary Arab narratives